Barack Obama awarded 2009 Nobel Peace Prize

by mudricky | October 9, 2009 at 01:13 am
2475 views | 89 Recommendations | 46 comments

Quote

But next year let's give it to Miss World. Every year Miss World comes on and says I want world peace and the world free of nuclear weapons.It's a hope, an aspiration. This is a Nobel Peace Prize for not being George Bush.
Sky News foreign affairs editor Tim Marshall

President Barack Obama has been awared the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples".

The committee said they agreed with Obama's "vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons".

Already many news commentators from various media sites have question this award and that it 'may be to early to judge Obamas work'.

The Nobel Committee said on issuing the award: "Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future"

"His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population."

The prize worth 10 million Swedish kronor ($1.4m/£880,000) includes a gold medal and a diploma, all the prizes will be presented to Obama in Oslo on December 10.

Some of the favourites this year were Zimbabwe's prime minister and a Chinese dissident, There was a record total of 205 nominations for the title.

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President Barack Obama - Wolfgang Edelmayer

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President Barack Obama - Wolfgang Edelmayer

Weblinks: The Nobel Foundation

THE SELECTION PROCESS

Those qualified to nominate candidates include members of national governments, international judiciary, academics and previous prize winners

Five Norwegians are chosen by Norway's parliament to sit on the Nobel Committee

The committee compiles a shortlist of between five and 20 candidates

The shortlist is considered by the Nobel Institute's permanent advisers, mainly Norwegian academics

The Nobel Committee chooses the winner

Details of the nominations and selection process are kept secret for 50 years

US President Barack Obama has won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.

The Nobel Committee said he was awarded it for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples".

There were a record 205 nominations for this year's prize.

The laureate - chosen by a five-member committee - wins a gold medal, a diploma and 10m Swedish kronor ($1.4m).

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1
caj1

Mudricky, I learned it from you first! Congratulations on the fast post, and also to President Barack Obama for the Nobel Prize award.

5
charliemcmillan

it's a bit early for something like that... I would say this is wrong

2
caj1

No, not too early. Not wrong.

10
Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

But why? In recent times no sitting US President has received the Nobel Peace Prize - and some of them worked hard to create peace and stability in the world.  Gorbachev was given the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990 but Reagan was ignored.

And if there's one US President who deserved the Nobel Peace Prize it was Bill Clinton. Bill Clinton, while in office got the Israeli Palestinian Agreement signed, played a key role in bringing the official conflct between Jordan and Israel,   and was a principal Character albeit behind the scenes in the Northern Ireland Peace Process - and has been a great humanitarian since leaving office and there is no Nobel Prize for him. So why Mr. Obama and why now? 

Especially his achievements in this area are negligible and there has not been much progress on the peace front in any one of the major hot spots in the world since President Obama took office. Well of course there was for soaring rhetoric - but is that good enough for the Nobel Peace Prize.

This is very much real.  Obama was awarded this prize based on his efforts.  This includes his Cairo speech to the Muslim world and his efforts to sit down with the Iranian regime.  

The award is definitely controversial and will, no doubt, be in the talking points of all the talk radio hosts today.

Congratulations to Barrack Obama.  How is efforts for peace will play out, remains to be seen.  In any case he has made the effort, which was enough for the Nobel Peace Prize Committee.

Good work mudricky.

0
D Flynn

Why does everyone keep pointing to his speeches to the Muslim world? They weren't given until June 2009 and the nominations closed on Feb 1st.  The other mysterious fact is that no where can you find who or when Obama was nominated. 

5
mudricky
The award is certainly unexpected and might be regarded as more of an encouragement for intentions than a reward for achievements.

After all, the president has been in office for a little over eight months and he might hope to serve eight years. His ambition for a world free of nuclear weapons is one that is easier to declare than to achieve and a climate control agreement has yet to be reached.

Indeed, the citation indicates that it is President Obama's world view that attracted the Nobel committee - that diplomacy should be founded "on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population".

Paul Reynolds
BBC News, London

6
Babel-Fish

Well it's about time his efforts have been recognized, his world rating is on a high and the beauty is he has to live up to the award and keep on pushing for a more peaceful world. Glad to see the first black American president achieving something special, his efforts at home may not of been regard as they have been overseas especially by those that support the republican party.

This is going to really annoy the republicans on the far right, lol.    


4
Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

The fact that deliberations on this concluded in February, it was very early in his Presidency.  I have read a few comments around the world on this this morning.  The reaction is mixed from both the right and the left.  Most are surprised.  Nevertheless I'm with you in congratulating President Obama on this award.  For the sake of the world I hope that his intentions of a nuke free world and cooperation with the muslim world succeed.

4
Colonel Boyle

I don't think I've ever seen such a biased, partisan attribution of award to someone. I'm not American and am pretty agnostic about the politics over there, but it's pretty clear that this is an aware designed to deliver another slap to Bush. Much like the literature award going to Harold Pinter's woeful, sixth-form anti-war 'poetry' a couple of years back, or Al Gore's award.

There is still no peace in the Middle East - not even so much as a meeting between the parties. Not a single nuclear missile has been decommissioned.War is continuing in Afghanistan - and may even be stepped up.

I don't doubt his intentions - nor his ability to achieve things given time - but there is no justification for this award. None.

I'm sure given the fierce partisanship over there, "annoying the Republicans" might seem like a good outcome, but this award is supposed to be a significant and rare honour for someone who has transformed a situation in the world.

0
D. Flynn

BRAVO!!!!

0
Jeffrey D Hopes

  • Why does evryone call him the first black president?
  • Number 1 he is not black but bi-racial.
  • Number 2 I realize once it has been said that he is the 1st black president it was easy for him to adjust to that title, because he wanted to be known as the 1st black president and he wanted to become President, or African american president which is also wrong, especially since neither of those statements are true.
  • Number 3. he did not win the nobel Peace prize it was a good will gesture. That is all it is. He has done absolutely nothing to have been awarded such a high honor.
  • Number 4 in Alfred Nobel's will he stated " the greatest benefit on mankind"
  • So I ask what did he do that was "the greatest benefit on mankind"?
 

12
J2B

Is it award to Obama "the man" or Obama "The President?"Is this the first time a sitting president has won the award?Who was the last black person to win the award?Congrats to Obama, and congrats to all Black Americans!"This will put the hen among the chickens, or is it the fox or maybe the right-wing extremists?"There will be a whole bunch of insane people this weekend, we'll probably get a few here on NP?YouTube Videowww.youtube.com/watch?v=hPv_t6HHEHI&feature=player_embedded

4
Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

Here is the view form CBC Canada.

The committee attached special importance to Obama's vision and work for a world without nuclear weapons in the prize citation, which was read in Oslo on Friday.

"The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations," the citation said.

The Nobel committee said Obama has created a new climate in international politics that has focused on multilateral diplomacy and an emphasis on the role of the United Nations and other international institutions.

"Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future," the citation said.


4
jefhow22

["This is going to really annoy the republicans on the far right"...]

I think it is going to annoy the citizens of the US on either side of the aisle. The only benefit I see for the O is that it will take some of the heat off of him for his inability to pay attention and fix things in the US. Just an opinion here not a personal attack...

2
Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

Jeff\ the reaction around the world is similar to yours.  Most think that this is too early before the fruits of his outreach are seen.  I am not sure that this will take the heat off Obama, I think it puts pressure on him to be successful in his efforts of international diplomacy. 

0
caj1

I see your point jefhow22, but I disagree that it will annoy U.S. citizens "on either side of the aisle."  I think it's a timely award on the part of the Nobel Peace Prize committee.  Like his presidential predecessors (Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson), President Obama has worked hard for peace in his eight months in office and he has the potential for achieving more.

6
nanute

Congratulations to President Obama.  I think this was a communist plot to see whose head will explode first: Rush Limbaugh's or Glenn Beck's.

4
Hugh Askew

Well if that don't beat all.

They decided this back in February? One month after he took office?

Wow......no political leanings in that vote.


0
marianmo

good post

 

3
stringsofhypocrisy

He was given this prestigious award for "efforts". I should assume that GOOD parents should be awarded the same...at least their attempts are merited and seen through to the end. This president has proven to be all bark and no bite. When we see results, then MAYBE he should be CONSIDERED for the Nobel Peace Prize. Until then, go flaunt your expensive suits on late night shows and parade your lovely family around baseball games Mr. President.

3
MDewie

Are you serious? Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel peace prize more on the basis of his values and vision than for his concrete achievements. Nominations for the prize closed on February 1 - less than two weeks after his inauguration on January 20. Source: www.metro.co.uk/news/world/article.html?Does_Barack_Obama_deserve_the_Nobel_Peace_Prize?&in_article_id=750176&in_page_id=64 BTW - Democrats can keep patting themselves on the back, while watching America go up in flames.

6
mudricky

The first thing I did was check before I posted. When I posted mine it had only happened so I checked that last few stories uploaded and there was nothing.

Since then there has been a few copy stories. This one below was not long after me: http://my.nowpublic.com/world/barack-obama-nobel-peace-2009-award if that's the story you mean.

If logs for the other stories state I posted after them then it isn't correct. 

I have in the past removed any stories if I have posted after someone else.

0
huh?

?

2
Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

I was in the process of reporting this story when mudricky.s was the only one that showed as having been published.  I assume that he was the first then.  I didn.t publish my story then. 

0
mudricky

must agree with you there...

2
Mary Richard

A Whitehouse official says the President "humbled" to be selected by the committee, and he is to speak live 10:30 am ET.

4
Chevalier de Pas

Yes we can!

0
Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

From the article:  Nice Peace Prize, Barack. How’s That ‘No Nukes’ Pledge Going?  published in Wired

First, the administration is supposed to negotiate a new strategic arms reduction treaty with Russia before the current one expires at the end of this year. Mission accomplished? Not yet, although talks recently got underway, and the administration’s decision to scrap missile defense in Europe may help smooth negotiations.

Obama also said he wants to see ratification of the 1996 Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which the United States signed, but which the Senate did not ratify. That hasn’t happened yet either, although Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently took part in a biennial conference designed to win more support for the treaty. (The White House wants to push for ratification next year).

The president has also proposed a new treaty to halt production of fissile materials. That, to borrow a marvelous bit of Pentagonspeak, is a long pole in the tent. The UN Conference on Disarmament was stalled for over a decade trying to launch talks on a Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty, in part because of U.S. objections. A verifiable cutoff treaty now has much broader support, but don’t expect India and Pakistan (who both still produce the stuff) to come to an quick agreement.

Finally, expect the Nobel Prize award to turn the spotlight on internal disagreements within the administration over the future of the nuclear weapons stockpile. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, for instance has said in the past that United States needs the Reliable Replacement Warhead, a new nuclear weapon design, if it is to maintain a moratorium on nuclear weapons testing while reducing stockpiles. It will be interesting to see if this prize changes the debate about re-sizing the nuclear arsenal.


3
Amy Judd

When is the decision for the award made? Because he hasn't been in office that long really has he?

3
mudricky

Febuary... I know shocker... he was only 11 days in office

How the Nobel Peace Prize Is Awarded

President Obama, the third sitting American president to win the Nobel Peace Prize, was selected from a so-called "short list" of 5 to 20 finalist candidates.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee's deadline for nominations was February 1, just 11 days after Obama's inauguration. Up to 200 nominations are received annually by the committee, a number that has risen steadily as the award has become increasingly global.

"There may occasionally be several thousand nominators behind one and the same nominee," the committee'sWeb site reads.

A record 205 nominations were received by the committee this year, including 33 organizations. The previous record was 199 in 2005.

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First Flagged at 1:38 AM, Oct 9, 2009 by caj1
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